Summit To Hold 1st Ever Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Event

SUMMIT, NJ — As the month of May signifies Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Summit will hold its first ever AAPI celebration on Saturday.

The free event, which will take place on the Village Green, will feature live entertainment on the main stage all day, as well as foods from various local Asian restaurants. All citizens are invited to attend the celebration from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Attendees can expect live performances from groups in different Asian communities, including Bollywood Dance, Kung Fu, Bhangra, Indian dance and more. The event will also include a Holi celebration and a ceremony at 5 p.m. to honor accomplishments of the AAPI community.

Food will be available for purchase from Suhsi Hana, Neelam, Krazy Chef, Moon Tea Creperie and Mrs. Duck.

The Summit Chinese Club is set to celebrate the Dragon Boat festival, and several other community organizations will set up displays highlighting different aspects of AAPI culture, with heritage showcases, outdoor games and other activities.

The planning committee for this event includes members from the City of Summit, Summit Free Public Library Chinese Club, Summit Area YMCA, Berkeley Heights Diversity Council, New Providence Diversity Committee, Springfield Unity Project, and the Summit Chinese American Association.

The schedule of events can be viewed below:

• 3:00 PM - Event Kick Off
• 3:00 PM - Hawaiian Luau Performance
• 3:30 PM - Bollywood Performance from the Summit YMCA
• 4:00 PM - Kung Fu
• 4:10 PM - Chinese Jazz Dance
• 4:15 PM - Peking Opera
• 4:25 PM - Qi Pao Zumba
• 4:45 PM - Fashion Show
• 5:00 PM - Ceremony and Keynote Speaker Ronald Chen with Remarks by Mayor Nora Radest
• 5:30 PM - Indian Dance Group
• 5:50 PM - Bhangra Performance
• 6:20 PM - Korean Drum and Dance
• 6:50 PM - Holi Celebration

Tables/Activities will include:

• Art Displays
• Summit Free Public Library
• Murray Hill Chinese School
• Dragon Boat Culture
• Zong Zi
• Calligraphy
• Crafts
• Lion Dance Demo
• Taste of China
• Zodiac Game Display
• Kneading Chinese Clay
• Circle throwing
• Tug of War
• Badminton
• Japanese Origami and Storytelling

If you would like to set up a display, please contact David Guida at dguidajr@cityofsummit.org.

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